


A Rose Paid For With A Kiss

by connorssock



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Get Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Self-conscious Gavin, Self-conscious Nines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 01:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20462627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connorssock/pseuds/connorssock
Summary: Nobody thinks Gavin is a romantic. At the same time, nobody thinks Nines could be gentle or delicate. How the ice cold terminator and the hot headed lone wolf of the department find themselves shyly orbiting each other is a mystery.





	A Rose Paid For With A Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the DBH Summer Exchange over on Tumblr. Ranger-d-98-5 requested self-conscious Gavin and self-conscious Nines.

The problem with being the resident asshole of the precinct was that sometimes Gavin wanted to act differently, let himself be someone who nobody believed he could ever be. Someone sweet, caring and thoughtful. Except that was so far out of the realms of reality that people stared at him wide eyed if he ever stepped out of the role of grumpy asshole. It was a sort of running joke that if Gavin smiled, he constantly got asked which android had shut down in front of him. If he so much as looked content, it was assumed that there was a fresh pot of coffee in the break room. Most of the time, Gavin didn’t mind his reputation, it certainly kept the more troublesome crap like small talk to the minimum.

However, the drawbacks, while usually not an issue, when they did rear their ugly heads, it was painful. Back straight, mind made up and consequences be damned, Gavin stalked through the bullpen with a single red rose in his hand. He had spent the previous night finding a florist who sold single stems and then a good half an hour de-thorning it to the best of his abilities. The two plasters on his fingers were testament to his dedication though not his skill. People whispered as he made a beeline for the desk nobody really expected him to approach. His history with Nines was chequered at best, most assumed they had a cordial though cold working relationship if that.

He already knew that just the mere act of holding a rose was going to get tongues wagging. But gritting his teeth, Gavin defied expectations, hid his fear of rejection behind a firm bravado of someone who knew what they were doing. If people couldn’t handle him trying to show affection in a traditional way, well, they could do him a favour and fuck off.

“This is for you.” Gavin thrust the rose out towards Nines without any finesse or build-up.

Looking from the rose to Gavin and back again, Nines tried to work out the meaning. All searches had indicated an expression of romance. Only, he wasn’t built for that. His hands weren’t made to hold something as delicate as a rose without thorns. Not once had his designers thought he would have to reach across a chasm filled with emotions to take a fragile flower between his fingers. Then again, he had never been made to smile either but that, along with a soft blush was exactly what he was doing as he took the rose with a hint of disbelief.

“Thank you, I think.”

“Don’t mention it.” Gavin stuffed his now free hands into his pocket and rocked back onto his heels with a shrug. “Thought you should know I like you.”

Every single ear in the precinct was straining to hear their soft conversation. If it could be called that at all. More like awkward, bumbling declarations.

“I don’t have anything to give in return but, I like you too,” Nines replied quietly, staring down at his rose. It was his. He tried to wrap his head around the image of Gavin buying it for him, cursing as he sat at his table and tried to get the thorns off. That in itself made Nines’ thirium rush faster. Gavin must have known his sensors on his fingers were sensitive which made damage to them from thorns even more unpleasant than expected. So he’d done away with the threat, just for Nines.

“Cool,” Gavin nodded. There was a bit of colour to his cheeks and he bit his lips, staring down at his shoes. “Guess we’re even then.”

“So it would seem. What do we do about it?” Nines’ question was genuine though a little teasing. “Perhaps we could indulge in a date?”

“Sure.” The hand from Gavin’s pocket emerged to rub at his nose then the back of his neck out of nervous habit. “You do realise it would mean spending time with me, right? Talking. Doing shit. All that crap.”

“You do realise it would me spending time with me, right?” Nines echoed back with a small smile. “You’d have to talk to me. Maybe even laugh at a couple of poor attempts at jokes. Doing stupid things like feeding ducks. Things I was never designed for and have no real idea of how to do.”

That, at least, had Gavin’s head shooting up to look at Nines with wide eyes. “Well yeah, it’s what people tend to do on dates.”

As the words left his mouth, realisation hit him and a small smile played on his lips. “Heh, we’re going on a date.”

There was a sense of disbelief and relief to his words and Nines couldn’t help but smile back. It was such a ridiculous notion. The ice cold terminator and the hot-headed lone wolf getting together. Thinking about it, Nines realised that he did actually have something he could give Gavin in exchange for his rose. Putting it down delicately, he slowly rose from his chair and necks craned, wondering whether it was going to end with Gavin on the floor with a bloody nose.

“When I said I had nothing to give back in return, I realise I had been mistaken.”

Stepping closer, Nines dipped his head and pressed a kiss to Gavin’s cheek. “Thank you for my rose, I would really like to go on a date with you.”

Nodding, Gavin looked up at him with a hopeful little smile. For the rest of the day he sat at his desk, quiet, not even snapping at anyone. Occasionally his hand drifted up to his cheek with a look of wonder but nobody dared call him out. It was a good look on him and while Nines didn’t seem as affected, people swore they saw him lightly trace the leaves of the rose with a finger as he processed something at his terminal.

In the end, nobody knew when their date was, nor did they ask. But when, one morning both Nines and Gavin came in with matching smiles, it didn’t take a detective to figure out that their date had gone well.

**Author's Note:**

> It's also posted over on Tumblr @connorssock if you want to hit the like/reblog button there.


End file.
